Political Leaders

Is this supposed to be a democracy or what? (Shown here: North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un visiting Mangyongdae Revolutionary School in 2014.)

Metaphorically Speaking, Your Nervous System is a Dictatorship

Except when it's an oligarchy. Or a democracy. Or all three.

Images are fast outpacing words as the major means of communication.

How to Avoid the Pitfalls in the Politics of Graphic Messaging

The director of the National Portrait Gallery offers a few pointers on how to acquire visual intelligence

A cartoon from the magazine The Judge, where "Democracy" is portrayed as the devil overlooking Washington, D.C., and looks very much like Grover Cleveland.

Lucifer Has Long Had His Hands in Politics

Since the earliest days of Christianity, people have accused their political rivals of being in league with the Devil

What the Candidates (and Journalists) Can Learn From the 1948 Democratic Convention

The first time television was beamed into millions of homes meant that presidential politics would have to change

Image captured from the 1948 Republican National Convention.

Watch Historic Footage of Seven Consequential (and Cringeworthy) Convention Moments

These tidbits of political theater past must be seen to be believed

Republican Convention in session, Cleveland Public Auditorium, 1924

When the GOP Picked a Nominee for Vice President, Only to Be Rejected

Their unrequited choice seemed utterly uninterested in the role

Larry, Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office

10 Downing Street’s “Chief Mouser” Is Keeping His Job Despite Brexit

Larry the Cat will outlast David Cameron at the Prime Minister’s residence

The Complicated History Between the Press and the Presidency

Banning a newspaper like the 'Post' is a move that wouldn't fly even in the Nixon White House

A statue of the people present at the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention can be seen at the Women's Rights National Historical Park in Seneca Falls.

Five Things to Know About the Declaration of Sentiments

From seating to suffrage, here’s why the document is relevant today

Meet the First and Only Foreign-Born First Lady: Louisa Catherine Adams

Almost 200 years ago, the wife of John Quincy Adams set a precedent

A portrait photograph of Victoria Woodhull.

Victoria Woodhull Ran for President Before Women Had the Right to Vote

Her 1872 campaign platform focused on women’s rights and sexual freedom

Lee Harvey Oswald, center, handing out fliers. According to a conspiracy theory floated by the National Enquirer, the unidentified man on the left wearing a black tie is the father of Senator Ted Cruz.

A Brief History of Lee Harvey Oswald's Connection to Cuba

For over 50 years, conspiracy theorists have linked JFK’s assassin to Fidel Castro’s Cuba

The slogan “unbought and unbossed” appeared on Chisholm’s campaign posters, one of which resides in the collections of the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

'Unbought and Unbossed': When a Black Woman Ran for the White House

The congresswoman tried to win the White House by consolidating the Black vote and the women's vote, but she ran into trouble

Upton Sinclair, noted author and Democratic nominee for Governor, pictured speaking to a group in his campaign headquarters shortly after his arrival in Los Angeles.

Upton Sinclair Was a Socialist Candidate Who Succeeded Through Failure

The author’s 1934 bid to govern California came up short, but left a lasting mark on politics

Campaign collections include boxes of Macaroni and Cheese for both parties.

What Ten Artifacts from the Smithsonian Collections Can Tell Us About the Crazy History of American Politics

A massive collection of campaign materials dating from 1789 reveals that little has changed in how America shows its affection for their candidate

Former Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Thomas Peter Lantos (D-Calif.) and his poodle, Gigi.

Congress Won’t Pay For Official Portraits Anymore

The government will stop using taxpayer dollars to immortalize lawmakers in the traditional fashion

44 Years Ago, Shirley Chisholm Became the First Black Woman to Run For President

Chisholm saw her campaign as a necessary "catalyst for change"

The First Person of Native American Descent Was Elected to the U.S. Senate 109 Years Ago Today

Charles Curtis, who would go on to become Herbert Hoover's vice president, left behind a problematic legacy

On the last day of the climate conference in Paris, thousands of people gathered to demonstrate for global climate justice and against climate change.

Four Things to Know About the Paris Climate Deal

The strengths and limitations of the roadmap for fighting climate change

Crimean Officials Are Suing Putin for Drinking a 240-Year-Old Bottle of Wine

Putin and Berlusconi opened up a world of trouble along with a vintage bottle of booze

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